Is this too casual for a 'semi formal' wedding?

[Arcticbeer]

I am not a very stylish person so would appreciate honest opinions. Can I wear this dress to my brother's wedding? It is cotton and quite simple style so I'm wondering if it's too casual.

It looks comfy though and I do prefer simple. Just wondering if I will look like I've dressed for a barbecue..
www.next.co.uk/style/su597232/f04221#f04221

Ha, to me "semi-formal" means "not jeans, not hoodies". A dress that covers both knees and shoulders is fine.

Do you have a black fitted leather jacket? Or if it's too hot for that, you could try a black straw-type sunhat like this https://www.hatsandcaps.co.uk/products/sur-la-tete-womens-beachside-sun-hat-black

I don't think it's a particularly casual dress. All of you who say it's "work wear" where do you work that a dress with that amount of white in it isn't an accident waiting to happen?

Plain black accessories is honestly quite dated. The contemporary way to wear this would be with brightly coloured block-heeled sandals (I'd look for turquoise or hot pink, because I like those colours). Black won't look terrible or anything but it's definitely a conservative and somewhat ageing choice.

Ha, to me "semi-formal" means "not jeans, not hoodies". A dress that covers both knees and shoulders is fine.

Same here.

It’s not my style but I think it’s perfect for what you describe. It looks like the material will be soft and comfortable too. A lovely bag and shoes would be great to tart it up a bit, maybe some colour?

Nothing wrong with wearing white. Unless you’re the brides identical twin (and also wearing a wedding gown), no one will ever confuse a guest with a bride.

This thread has more references to hats than I've seen in twenty years. Nobody under the age of sixty wears hats to weddings in 2025 unless it's a royal wedding.

Where's he getting married as that would guide how much effort fancy my dress would be.

This!

@ChandrilanDiscoDroid black is not dated! Nice black Chanel bag is never dated. Look at the images I posted. Cheapened with gaudy accessories. It’s not a cruise.

Semi formal - no hoodies! Who would wear a hoody to a wedding? Bonkers.

I don’t mind the pattern but it’s jersey material, which to me always seems very casual.

If the Princess of Wales is wearing it, you can almost guarantee that it is both conservative and a little dated. She looks great, but fashion forward she is not. That's fine - not everybody wants to ride the cutting edge - and OP is welcome to use or ignore my input as it's useful.

Run it by your brother and the bride to be, OP. Might give you peace of mind. I think it looks lovely, for the very little that's worth!

I didn't realise it was jersey material.
I've revised my opinion!

I work next door to a registry office and some people’s entire families turn up in grey tracksuits, whilst the bride is in full white wedding dress and veil!

Yes, the cotton fabric was one of the reasons I was unsure. I assume it's a nice quality cotton but is that kind of fabric inherently inappropriate? It's so comfortable and non-sweaty which I like, but I know it can lean more towards summer dress.. Here is a close up from another site.

Depends on the weight, hang and finish. If it's a heavier weight and/ or has the sort of silky finish some cotton jersey has, then no problem. If it's lighter / thinner maybe not.

It looks more on the heavier side and the cuffs look properly finished off.

Another view of dress

as far as you know
and you cant know ALL the weddings!

My husbands cousins wife turned up to our wedding in scruffy jeans, a grey t shirt and a hoodie. Was all very strange. Even her husband was in a three piece suit.

It looks like a lovely dress but i am not sure about wearing black and white to a wedding.

It looks more smart casual than semi formal to me, even if the jersey is thick it's still a casual material and the pattern is quite casual rather than smart. I would look for something made of a woven fabric with a bit more structure. (I personally would also avoid black, white or cream)

I think it is very nice but if you want something with less white, this one is great but may be too expensive.
https://uk.daisysilk.com/products/polka-dot-silk-wrap-dress#images-1

It's a lovely dress and eminently suitable for a wedding guest.

I'm not sure about the lack of tie (for your dh).
If it is your brother getting married, and you aren't sure what they mean by 'semi-formal' then surely it is the easiest thing in the world to say "What do you mean by that? "Are you expecting men to wear suits? To wear ties? Women to wear hats?"

It is a lovely dress, suitable for a wedding and easy to accessorise.

Not sure why people think it is workwear. Since covid, workwear has become more casual. In my office (professional services), someone wearing that would be overdressed unless they were meeting clients but even then, the dress looks a little 'patriarchal'.

It is a stretchy cotton, which means body fitting, so should be thicker material. I cannot tell from the description whether it is lined but it is not likely.

I would suggest you buy it and return if necessary. You need to see whether the fabric bunches on you. It looks quite unforgiving especially in the tummy area which is a problem if like me you like eating and end up with a food baby 😁. Also if the weather is still hot at the end of August, it could get sweaty if you are outside, which is not great when wearing white in terms of sweat stains.

Appreciate not everyone cares about these things.

This is a gorgeous dress for a wedding 😍 I wouldn't do hat personally, to me it screams mother of the bride/groom. I would do a black belt, maybe get a little bolero black jacket perhaps? Nice shoes and bag and you're perfect.